Handbag



B. CALEM ET m.

, HANDBAG Filed July 6, 1955 Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to hand bags and more particularly to a cigarette lighter forming a part of a clasp of a woman's hand bag.

The main object of the invention is to provide a clasp for a ladys hand bag in which the handle member used to operate the clasp is in the form of a cigarette lighter.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to swing the ignition end of the lighter in a convenient position for lighting a cigarette.

Other objects will appear as the disclosure progresses. The drawing is intended to merely indicate a possible embodiment of the invention. It is obvious that the actual needs of manufacture may necessitate certain mechanical changes. It is therefore not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated but rather to define such limits in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawing in general,

Figure l is a view of a ladys hand bag showing the cigarette lighter forming a part of the clasp.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1 on an enlarged scale with the cigarette lighter shown in full lines.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2 with the body of the cigarette lighter shown in full lines and the cover in section lines.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view showing the clasp attached to a dilferent type bag.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, numeral I designates the hand bag, 2 the clasp and 3 the cigarette lighter. The usual frames 4 and 5 are provided for opening and closing the bag. As best seen in Figure 3 the clasp and cigarette lighter are supported by the frame 5.

The clasp comprises a hollow cylindrical member 6 supported by the leaf spring 1 embedded within the interior of the frame 5. A tapered boss 8 is formed on the top of the other frame 4 opposite the said leaf spring. When the frames are shut the boss fits in the hollow interior of the cylindrical member 6 and when opening the bag the clasp is bent sideways in an outwardly direction on the leaf spring 1 just enough to allow the periphery of the clasp to clear the boss. Branching out from the cylindrical member 6 are two arms 9 and I pivotally supporting the cigarette lighter by the pivots l l and I2.

The cigarette lighter comprises a cylindrical body member 13 containing a lighting mechanism l4 therein. This lighting mechanism is of standard construction and need therefore not be described. A cover I is provided to encase the ignition end of the said lighting device. Surrounding the body member I3 is a band l6 at the bottom of which is a pin [1. The end of the pin normally fits in the U-shaped resilient element l8 embedded in the depression I9 formed at the meeting point of the arms 9 and I0 is best seen in Figure 4. The distance between the ends 20 and 2| of the element i8 is slightly less than the thickness of the pin Il. Thus when the pin is moved inwardly between the arms of the said element the pin will snap in place and remain in a vertical position.

To use the cigarette lighter the body member I3 is pivoted in the position as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and the cover l5 unscrewed for exposing the lighting element. In this angular position the user of the device can conveniently light the cigarette without coming in contact with the frame of the bag. When not in use the lighter is manually swung back to its original position as shown in full lines in Figure 1 and held in this position by the resilient U-shaped element ll.

Figure 5 shows the lighting mechanism used on a different type bag in which numeral 22 designates the bag, -23 the flap and 24 a slot out therein. To open or close the flap the cigarette lighter 3 is swung around to register with the slot in order to pass through. The slot is cut slightly larger than the lighter so there will be suificient clearance.

It will thus be seen that we have produced a novel, simple and useful device for lighting cigarettes. The lighter being a part of the bag clasp will always be handy when needed.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a bag, of a set of frames at the opening end of said bag, a clasp for holding said frames together, said clasp provided with upstanding arms, a handle member pivotally supported in said arms and arranged to oscillate in a vertical plane, and means to latch said handle member in a position parallel to the plane of said frames, said means comprising a pin extending downwardly from said handle member, a. U-shaped spring element embedded at the meeting point of said upstanding arms, said pin adapted to engage the ends of said U-shaped spring element.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a bag, of a set of frames at the opening end of said bag, a clasp for holding said frames together, said clasp being U-shaped and having upstanding arms, an elongated handle member pivotally supported in the center between said upstanding arms and arranged to oscillate in a plane parallel to the said upstanding arms, and means to latch said handle member in a position parallel to the plane of said frames.

BERNARD CALEM. WILLIAM STAHLE. 

